The SEC Forum at College Football Fan Site, CFB51!!!

I'm definitely blessed. 

Good morning Mr Sarkisian

your mission this week will be to defeat the Oklahoma Sooners in the RRS this Saturday in the Cotton Bowl

As usual should you fail The University will disavowal all knowledge of you or your asst coaches


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQsx4Fr8wqU

Nice summary, @CatsbyAZ , appreciate the view from an outsider who's not so prone to drink the burnt orange koolaid.

Overall I'll say that this team has something that most of the recent Texas teams haven't-- a sense of determination and perseverance.  Last year's team showed flashes of this, they just couldn't make it stick in the 4th quarter of too many games.  This year's team could be accused of starting slow, but after almost half a season it appears to be more of an intentional strategy.  They're grinding in the first half to wear out the other team and break them, and then unloading in the second half.  For the most part, it's been working.

This weekend's OU game should be a lot of fun to watch (from an outsider's perspective anyway.  Personally, I'll be a complete wreck! ).  I won't say OU will be our biggest test of the season so far because I still think Alabama's pretty good, but it's a rivalry game and those always mean a lot more to the players, so emotions will be sky high.

I can't wait.  For me, this week of the season is always like the last few days before Christmas.  I doubt I'll get much work done.

I haven't watched OU any yet, so I can't comment on any particular matchups I'm looking for, or advantages/disadvantages.  I have watched a ton of Texas football over the last 20 years, both in person and on the telly, and this is the first team I've seen since pre-2010 that makes me think they could win it all.  Not saying they will, just that so far they've looked like that caliber of team. 

There has been the occasional season during that time that they got hype and Texas was "back" and all that, but it always felt to me like there were signs of deficiencies even before some L's piled up.  I have not sensed that yet this year....in fact, I've liked them more each time I watch them.  I don't know where they rank in roster talent compared with some others, but when the lines play as good as UT's has played, those become very hard hard teams to beat. 

This becomes another excellent gauge.  OU on paper looks capable of giving Texas a fight and landing some blows and forcing them to grit it out...something not even Alabama was able to do.  NC-caliber teams find ways come out on top of close games, so I'll be looking for that this weekend. 

Or maybe one of them will blow the other one off the field and I'll go pull weeds in my flower bed.  Who knows.  As a neutral observer, I hope for a thrilling game that tops the ND/OSU game a couple weeks ago.  As the husband of a Longhorn, I hope for something like last year, because the missus gets adorably anxious, cranky, and kinda yelly during close or bad games and I always get in trouble for giggling at her.  

KU's backup QB isn't exactly an inexperienced hack. He's played plenty of meaningful football. Really, he was enough of a curveball from what Texas prepared for that it took a series or two to get the defense adjusted. He had some bad luck with receivers dropping passes, but the ultimate good luck when his fumble bounced perfectly into a trailing RB's arms.

The ball is still pointy, bounces funny, and is handled by 18-22 year old males. Nothing is ever certain. However, the lines are professional level, and just when you think you've exhausted the starters, the backups come in an are just as skilled. Teams that come in and give it all they have hang with Texas for a quarter or so. When the adrenaline wears off, reality comes calling quickly.

A little info on where UT gets its BEVOs



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XY-rXPg-zp0&t=23s

I saw Bevo get salty one time, swinging his head something close to violently, from side to side.....might've impaled a handler or two if they hadn't been alert and agile.  I think it was at the post-05 NC celebration at DKR, iirc.  We joked that he was just feeling his oats in response to the NC and/or the game highlight video playing on the new jumbo-tron.